the recipes of a nomadic Jamaican

Tag: roast

I made my first and last corned beef brisket last year for St. Patrick’s Day. My husband, the expert on all things meat, and our guests were pleased with it but I was completely unable to get over the strong saltiness. I decided that I need a decade-long break from the dish, so this year I roasted a boneless short rib instead. I served it with the requisite spuds and cabbage for a meal so remarkable that the traditional corned beef was forgotten.

I ‘accidentally’ bought boneless short ribs – I see absolutely no point in the existence of boneless ribs but I didn’t read carefully enough so these ended up in the fridge. I had planned to make a tri-tip from the freezer but since the ribs were bought fresh, they won a spot on the St. Patrick’s Day spread. I used the reverse sear method which is possible using a conventional oven but I decided it would have been more fun to do this on my Big Green Egg barbecue. The recipe calls for green onion or scallion powder; you can use twice the amount of chopped fresh green onions instead. I made my own green onion powder by dehydrating the tops of onions from my summer garden. If you can find some, you must try it – it’s a very potent dimension of one of my absolute favorite seasonings. That being said, any good beef rub will work excellently.

1. In a small bowl, mix together a paste of:

2 tsps grapeseed oil (or other neutral cooking oil)

2 Tbsps green onion powder

1/2 tsp desiccated onion flakes

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

1/2 tsp demerara sugar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp salt

Combine these spices with a little oil for a delicious beef rub

2. Rub paste generously on

2-3 lbs boneless beef short ribs

3. Seal and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

4. Preheat oven or grill to 225 – 250°F. If using a barbecue, be sure to place the short ribs in the ‘cool’ or indirect zone.

The boneless short rib on the raised grid of my Big Green Egg

5. Cook beef at low heat until thermometer inserted into the thickest region registers 15°F cooler than your desired temperature. Beef is medium-rare at 135°F and well done at 160°F.

6. Once the rib is 15°F cooler than your desired temperature, turn the heat up to 450-500°F (if using a charcoal barbecue, move the roast directly over the coal and fully open up your vents).

7. Leave the meat on high temperature until desired browning has taken place, about another five or ten minutes. This will crisp your meat, generating a rich caramelized flavor.